1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a bicycle and, more particularly, to a bicycle and method of concealing control cables within the handlebars, stem and frame of the bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bicycles include control cables, which are used to control front and rear wheel braking systems and front and rear shifting mechanisms, such as front and rear derailleurs. Typically, the control cables are routed from brake and shift levers to the braking systems and derailleurs, using one of two possible methods or a combination thereof.
In a first method, the control cables exit the brake and/or shift levers mounted to a handlebar and are routed along the handlebar. The portion of the control cables routed along the handlebar is concealed underneath padding of the handlebar. At a point, slightly ahead of the point where the handlebar is affixed to a stem, the control cables are exposed and routed directly to attachment points on the frame of the bicycle. Typically, clips, bosses or other means are used to affix the control cables to the frame. A generally large loop of control cable runs between the handlebar and frame, to allow for turning of the handlebar.
In a second method, similar to the first, the control cables exit the brake and/or shift levers and are routed directly to the cable attachment points on the frame. In this methodology, there is no attempt made to conceal the control cables along the handlebar.
In either method, the exposed portion of the control cables detracts from the overall aesthetics of the bicycle, as well as potentially obscuring any artwork or graphics applied to the bicycle. Additionally, the exposed cable segments are susceptible to snagging, fouling and corrosion, while adversely contributing to the overall aerodynamic drag on the bicycle.
Current bicycle designs do not address the aforementioned problems. Some bicycles do provide for routing of the control cables through the frame, but maintain the exposed segments of cable between the handlebar and the cable attachment points on the frame. Systems incorporating variants of this methodology are detailed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,478,100, 4,768,798, and 4,974,864.